The sense of loneliness in couples and the impact of the health crisis: A review of literature

Objective: The purpose of this review is to define the feeling of loneliness within a couple while taking into consideration the factors that lead a person to feel lonely in a couple or in a romantic relationship. Our goal is to understand the effects of the feeling of loneliness on these individuals during the global health crisis brought on by COVID-19 and to take these factors into account in designing effective therapeutic care. The different manifestations of loneliness in a couple should also be highlighted. Method(s): We used the PRISMA methodology to select the relevant studies. The keywords ("Solitude" or "Loneliness") and ("Couple" or "Married" or "Partnership") allowed us to select 19 references dealing with the theme. We conducted searches of the following databases: "Cairn", "PsychInfo and Psycarticle", "PubMed and Medline", "ScienceDirect" and finally, "Web of Science" in order to find articles covering a ten-year period. Result(s): There are different definitions for the subjective experience of loneliness. The review of the literature highlights the fact that loneliness can lead to positive or negative psychological consequences (it can lead to the development of creative capacity or, on the contrary, result in depression in some cases). Attachment patterns have been shown to be the basis for the tolerance of feelings of loneliness. Indeed, an anxious attachment would encourage the couple to avoid the feeling of loneliness. According to the literature, this defensive mechanism of seeking presence in the couple would make it possible to limit the impact of loneliness. This solitude depends on the level of relational quality within the couple. A poor relational quality would lead to greater loneliness and would impact intimate relationships. Loneliness is supposedly not experienced in the same way by men and women: Men seem to be more protected by marriage while women's level of loneliness may be higher because of the household chores they have to do. Men and women would nevertheless remain subject to the phenomena of contamination, i.e., when one of the partners feels lonely, the other will also be lonely. However, it seems that marriage protects against feelings of loneliness and its negative consequences. Loneliness does not have only negative effects. It can be beneficial for developing creativity and finding oneself. The periods of confinement during the COVID-19 crisis provided people with an increase in the amount of time they didn't normally have on a daily basis. This may have been beneficial for some people and can be associated with positive emotions. Individuals who spent the lockdowns with others felt less alone and experienced less psychological distress. However, confinements did produce some negative effects on couples. The increased stress of the pandemic and the constant proximity led to an increase in spousal abuse. The consequences of confinement for couples whose relationships were already troubled resulted in frequent separation and/or divorce. The potential for conflict was related to limited financial resources, not working, and the significant risk of contracting SARS COV-2. Conclusion(s): The articles dealing with the feeling of loneliness that we reviewed presented quantitative methods to the detriment of qualitative aspects and focused largely on the negative aspects of the feeling of loneliness. Other academic disciplines, such as sociology, demonstrate a lack of understanding concerning what is at stake with the feeling of loneliness. The articles intersect and tend to highlight the attachment relationships that are formed in childhood as a determining factor in the feeling of solitude later in life. The quality of the relationship, gender, and marital status are also factors to be considered. Loneliness has a clear influence on the well-being of the relationship but it is not an individual characteristic of the relationship itself. It finally appears as an individual characteristic with an impact on the assessment of the quality of the relationship and on the appreciatio of the spouse.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS

Understanding the occupational impact of waiting using occupational science concepts

Waiting is part of the collective experience as occupational beings. It has been studied in fields of psychology and patient experience, but not yet explored within occupational science. We consider the strengths and limitations of considering waiting as an occupation in itself or as a form of occupational disruption. While people wait in almost every aspect of their daily lives, this paper focuses predominantly on waiting in the context of healthcare services. While recognising the wider impact of waiting in other aspects of life, this focus was chosen in response to media coverage of waiting times following the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this exploration, we call for more occupationally focused research into the phenomenon of waiting, which can lead to fuller assessments of the impact of waiting for patients and development of occupationally focussed interventions to support ‘waiting well'. © 2023 The Journal of Occupational Science Incorporated.

Using implementation science to support the adoption of routine HIV testing in a suburban emergency department

Background: Implementation science (IS) involves using techniques to promote implementation of evidence-based guidance to improve healthcare quality and outcomes. Sutton has an HIV prevalence rate of 2.5/1000 and a high late diagnosis rate. Testing in emergency departments (ED) has been shown to be effective and has been adopted in many UK metropolitan centres. Routine testing in EDs of high prevalence areas is recommended by NICE. Method(s): Our project started in November 2019 and was designed to promote uptake of opt-out HIV testing into routine practice through education, training, and incentives. Strategies employed outlined in table 1. We assessed acceptability and adoption of the guidance. Result(s): HIV testing increased from average 7.5 tests/ month to 592 tests/month (17,165 tests in 28 months). Three previously undiagnosed people and 1 individual with a known diagnosis who had disengaged were identified. Testing numbers ranged from 191-1229/month. Numbers dropped during the following challenging periods: 1. Tendering of the sexual health service 2. IT and sample processing issues on implementation 3. Emergence of SARS CoV-2 4. Blood bottle shortage in 2021 Conclusion(s): This project demonstrated that while implementation of routine opt out HIV testing in ED is feasible and acceptable, it took a long time for the practice to be embedded and it was easily de-railed by external circumstances. Acknowledgements- This project was conducted with support from an Implementation Science grant by ViiV. (Table Presented).

Short-Duration Crash Modeling to Understand the Impact of Operating Speed on Freeway Crashes During COVID-19

Gaining an understanding of speed–crash relationships is a critical issue in highway safety research. Because of the ongoing pandemic (COVID-19) there has been a reduction in traffic volume, and some early studies explain that speeding in an environment with less traffic is associated with a high number of crashes, especially fatal and serious injury crashes. This study aims to quantify the impact of operating speed on traffic crash occurrences. The study conflated several databases (speed data, roadway inventory data, and crash data) that contain data from Dallas, Texas, spanning from 2018 to 2020, to examine the speed–crash association. Using the negative binomial Lindley regression model, this study showed that the trends of crash prediction models vary over the years (2018, 2019, and 2020) by different injury severity levels (i.e., fatal crashes, fatal and incapacitating injury crashes). The 2020 models show that operating speed measures (i.e., average operating speed) have a significant impact on crash frequencies. The magnitudes of the speed measures show variations across the models at different injury severity levels.

SCI-indexed papers and research hotspots of provincial centers for disease control and preven tion in China from 2011 to 2020

[Background] The COVID-19 pandemic hints at the importance of modernizing disease control system. To understand the scientific research strength of our country's disease control system in recent years is conducive to formulating more targeted policies or measures to promote the modernization of the disease control system. [Objective] To understand the scientific research strength and research hotspots of China's provincial-level centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs) from 2011 to 2020, and provide evidence for the development of scientific research work, discipline construction, and talent team construction in CDCs in the future. [Methods] The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) of the Web of Science Core Collection were used to retrieve SCI-indexed English papers published by 31 provincial CDCs (excluding Taiwan Province, Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions) in our country from 2011 to 2020, and to screen literature with provincial CDCs as the first affiliation for bibliometric analysis and visual analysis. Bibliometric analysis included the SCI-indexed publications of different provincial CDCs (as co-affiliation and the first affiliation), the number of SCI-indexed papers published by provincial CDCs (as the first affiliation) and funding rates by years, the high-frequency authors of SCI-indexed papers published by provincial CDCs (as the first affiliation) and their distribution, and the characteristics of the journals. Visual analysis software Citespace 5.8.R1 was used to draw keyword co-occurrence maps, cluster information tables, and emergence maps to provide information on research hotspots and their evolution. [Results] From 2011 to 2020, the number of SCI-indexed papers from 31 provincial CDCs was 8 420 (including co-affiliation), of which 2 060 papers listed provincial CDCs as the first affiliation. The provincial CDCs of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, and Guangdong were the leading six institutes in terms of the total number of SCI-indexed papers contributed as co-affiliation or the first affiliation. There was a large gap in the total number of SCI-indexed papers among the provincial CDCs. The highest total number of SCI-indexed papers contributed by provincial CDCs as the first affiliation was Zhejiang CDC (448 papers), while the lowest number was Xinjiang CDC (only 1 paper). From 2011 to 2020, the total number of SCI-indexed papers contributed by the 31 provincial CDCs as the first affiliation showed an overall increasing trend. Except for 2011, which was 63.1%, the funding rates in other years exceeded 70%. In terms of high-frequency authors, 13 first authors published >=10 SCI-indexed papers: Zhang Yingxiu from Shandong CDC had the highest number of SCI-indexed papers (47), followed by Hu Yu from Zhejiang CDC. Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, and Shandong still ranked the top six of >=4 first authored-SCI papers. In terms of journal characteristics, the top 20 journals with the highest number of SCI papers published a total of 862 papers, accounting for 41.8% (862/2 060), and PLOS ONE ranked the first (188 papers). The research hotspots were mainly concentrated in the fields of infection, child health, and epidemiology. The main keywords of the first three cluster categories were related to the research fields of adolescent overweight and obesity, HIV, and vaccine immunity. The results of keyword emergence showed that research hotspots shifted from overweight, obesity, and body mass index to antibodies, vaccines/vaccination, and cohorts. [Conclusion] The past ten years have witnessed increasing numbers of SCI-indexed papers published by provincial CDCs in our country and a stubbornly high funding rate. However, the gap among the provincial CDCs is still large seeing that economically developed eastern provincial CDCs published more SCI-indexed papers. Research hotspots have gradually shifted from overweight, obesity, and body mass index to antibodies, vaccines/vaccination, and cohorts.Copyright © 022 Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All rights reserved.

Developing Vaccine Literacy for Urban Health Science Students, the Future Health Workforce

The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic underlined a shift in attitudes against vaccines and a rise in hesitancy among some members of the population, despite the overwhelming evidence that vaccinations are one of the most successful and safe health interventions. Research has shown that vaccine hesitancy is complex and can result from an intersectionality of multiple factors. Research has also shown that to tackle vaccine hesitancy in the community, health care workers play a pivotal role, as they are trusted sources who can provide reliable information and can address vaccination concerns for the public. Unfortunately, health care workers are also susceptible to vaccine hesitancy. Thus, to curb these negative attitudes and doubts against vaccinations, we propose to improve vaccine competency among health science students, who are the future health workforce. Here, we propose a comprehensive pedagogical approach that aims to improve the vaccine literacy in this student population in two urban community colleges. The approach includes the use of high-impact pedagogical interventions to achieve three main objectives: (i) to teach students the nature and process of science to have them become "competent outsiders";(ii) to enhance students' knowledge of the complex science behind emerging infectious diseases and vaccine action, adopting a learner-centered and concept-focused instructional design, and (iii) to address the social, cultural, and historical aspects of vaccine development and the historical and present inequities that characterize this health intervention.

Challenges and strategies to stay physically active in the face of COVID-19 pandemic: A review

The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 has influenced peoples' lifestyles. Home-confinement scenario might impair physical activity practice, resulting in new challenges for maintaining health during the pandemic of the COVID-19. The aim of this study was to present the current context of COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the practice of physical activity, and the strategies available to remain active during home-confinement according to international recommendations. The narrative review was conducted based on studies that analyzed themes related to physical activity and COVID-19. Virtual Health Library (VHL), CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant papers. Although an increased number of experimental studies are still necessary, people should devote more time to physical activity during social isolation. Guidelines were adjusted by international entities in order to encourage people to remain active, through practice regular physical activity, using alternative strategies such as fitness program applications, exergames, online exercise classes, and even chores. Reduction of prolonged sedentary behavior could contribute to maintain health and improve quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado. All Rights Reserved.

COVID-19 and the Indoor Environment - observations from a joint National Academies of Engineering seminar series

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants and COVID-19 disease have affected every aspect of society. The US National Academy of Sciences has been providing scientific insights and advice to aid policymakers and researchers in their quest to respond to the pandemic. Since 2020, it has produced numerous reports and workshop proceedings intended to integrate science into national preparedness and response decision-making, to explore lessons learned and best practices from previous preparedness and response efforts, and to consider strategies for addressing misinformation (NASEM, 2021). Among these was a 2021 symposium series that analyzed engineering's role in catalyzing COVID-19 response, recovery, and resilience, examining topics including the mitigation of exposure in public transit systems, engineering solutions to managing pathogens indoors, and the factors influence the transmission of infectious diseases in cities. Speaker presentations addressing these indoor environment topics are summarized here. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

Relationship between COVID-19 infection and erectile dysfunction, a literature review examining the link and proposed mechanisms behind this phenomenon

It is now only in the wake of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that we are beginning to understand many of the extra-respiratory manifestations of the condition. There is now growing evidence that erectile dysfunction (ED) is closely linked with the disease. We carry out one of the first literature reviews to consolidate the current evidence of the causal link between COVID-19 and ED and explore the proposed mechanisms that underpin this phenomenon. We carried out a literature search of the databases;PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane library. Search time frame was between December 2019 and March 2022. Only studies deemed of acceptable quality were included. Five studies were found highlighting the link between COVID-19 and ED. A further Nineteen studies were utilized to illustrate the proposed biological mechanisms underpinning COVID-19 related ED. Clear evidence has been documented through multiple studies internationally recognizing reduction in erectile scores and reduced sexual activity. It appears there is likely indirect and direct cytopathic effects on endothelial cells, in addition to hormonal and psychosocial factors. The associated ED is likely a result of a multitude of mechanisms including direct and indirect endothelial dysfunction, vasoactive cytokines, endocrine dysregulation, and psychosocial factors. This is the first literature review to delve into the likely underpinning mechanisms of the virus that drive ED.Copyright ©2023 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press.

Examining the Association of Air Quality on Covid-19 Patient Outcomes Using Area Level Data from the Electronic Health Record

Background: Within the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, literature has found worsened patient outcomes and increased virus transmissibility associated with reduced air quality. This factor, a structural social determinant of health (SDOH), has shown great promise as a link between air quality and patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researching SDOH within our patient populations is often difficult and limited by poor documentation or extensive questionnaires or surveys. The use of demographic data derived from the electronic health record (EHR) to more accurately represent SDOH holds great promise. The use of area-level determinants of health outcomes has been shown to serve as a good surrogate for individual exposures. We posit that an area level measure of air quality, the county-level Air Quality Index (AQI), will be associated with disease worsening in intensive care unit (ICU) patients being treated for COVID-19. Method(s): We will calculate AQI using a combination of open-source records available via the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and manual calculations using geospatial informatics systems (GIS) methods. Subjects will be identified as adult (> 18 years) patients admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's ICUs between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022 with a positive SARS-CoV-2 laboratory analysis result. We will exclude patients without a home address listed. Patient demographic and hospital data from ICU admission to 28 days following admission will include: age, sex, home address, race, insurance type, primary language, employment status, highest level of education, and hospital course data. Together these will be collated to produce our primary outcome variable of WHO Clinical Progression Scale score. These validated scores range from 0 (uninfected) to 10 (dead) to track clinically meaningful progression of COVID-19 infected patients. Our AQI variable will be obtained from the EPA available county-level monitoring station spatial data combined with open-source state/county center point spatial data. These data contain historic cataloguing to determine air quality at both specific time points and averages over time. Where a county's average yearly AQI is not available due to lack of a monitoring station, we will use spatial data tools to calculate an average based on data from nearby stations. We will utilize yearly averages of AQI in the year prior to COVID-19 diagnosis to describe overall impact of air quality on patients' respiratory outcomes as opposed to single day exposures. Linkage of patient data to AQI database will be performed using patient addresses. Discussion(s): By combining area level data with electronic health record (EHR) data, we will be positioned to understand the contribution of environmental and social determinants of health on patient outcomes. Our long-term goal is to elucidate which social and environmental determinants of health are associated with worse outcomes from COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, using data extracted from the EHR.

Investigating Awareness and Usage of Electronic Information Resources by the Engineering Students of NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Mumbai

During Covid-19 restrictions, electronic information resources have become a prominent source in the library. Most of the university academic activities heavily depend on electronic resources because they are easy to share, refer and communicate to the audience. This study investigates the awareness and usage of electronic information resources subscribed to by the university library. The well-designed online questionnaire helps to collect data from Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Integrated engineering programs. A total of 232 filled questionnaires were received for the study. The data analysis shows that 91.38 % of the respondents know that electronic resources are available in the library, and the internet speed (56.90 %) is a significant hindrance in using resources. The detailed analysis of this study was discussed, and suggestions were also given to improve the awareness and usage of electronic information resources.

Smart and functional textiles

Smart and Functional Textiles is an application-oriented book covering a wide range of areas from multifunctional nanofinished textiles, coated and laminated textiles, wearable e-textiles, textile-based sensors and actuators, thermoregulating textiles, to smart medical textiles and stimuli-responsive textiles. It also includes chapters on 3D printed smart textiles, automotive smart textiles, smart textiles in military and defense, as well as functional textiles used in care and diagnosis of Covid-19. • Overview of smart textiles and their multidirectional applications • Materials, processes, advanced techniques, design and performance of smart fabrics • Fundamentals, advancements, current challenges and future perspectives of smart textiles. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

Preface

Following the success of 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021 International Conference on Science & Technology Applications in Climate Change (STACLIM), the Institute of Climate Change (IPI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is proud to extend our promotion of research and education for the advancement of climate change studies. The 2022 International Conference on Science & Technology Applications in Climate Change (STACLIM 2022) with the theme "Climate change mitigation action through the lens of science and technology” is the fifth in the series of conferences organized by IPI. This year the conference was carried out in virtual form through the Webex platform (29 – 30 November 2022) due to the COVID-19 travel restriction. Through the virtual form, the science community is able to share their research findings in time.The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers in fields of Environmental Science, Health Sustainability, Mathematics, Sustainable Energy, Economic Sustainability, Socio-Cultural Studies, Social Science, Atmospheric Science, and related fields, to present their research findings as well as create new opportunities for future research collaborations. This event is envisaged to witness active participation from various eminent environmental and earth scientists, engineers and students from academia, industry and government sectors for addressing complications associated with climate change and to draw forth novel and ground-breaking initiatives and solutions for climate resilience.The plenary sessions in the main room were opened by two keynote speeches from leading experts including Prof. Dr. Lisa Stein from University of Alberta, Canada on "Microbial Solutions to Mitigating Climate Change”, Prof. Dr. Haruko Kurihara from University of Ryukyus, Japan, on "Ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystem and its potential mitigation solutions”. As the keynote session was open for public registration, we had participants joining the event. It was then followed by the invited speaker sessions consisting of Prof. Dr. Fredolin Tangang (UKM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rawshan Ara Begum (Macquarie University, Australia), Dr. Shantanu Kumar Pani (National Central University, Taiwan) and Mr. Saud Aldrees (University of Oxford, England). The program was then continued with oral presentation of 72 papers in 3 parallel breakout rooms. Each presenter was given up to 15 mins for presentation and Q&A sessions. There were additional 13 non-presenters who joined in during the presentation session. Presenters and participants have attended the conference from their respective countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria, India, and Ukraine.The conference went well with great support and synergy of the staff and personnel from Institute of Climate Change, UKM. To document and promulgate the research findings and ideas shared, we are very pleased to publish the accepted research papers of STACLIM 2022 in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES).The EditorsList of Organizing Committee is available in this Pdf.

Outcomes of LEGA-C programs: a review of implementation science projects toward HCV elimination by 2030 in Asia

Background and Objectives: The WHO has identified HCV infection as a public health threat and set a global target for HCV elimination by 2030, yet currently only 11 countries are on track to achieve HCV elimination targets. Up to 60% of HCV + patients are lost to follow-up and remain untreated and this has likely been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have reduced HCV treatment urgency, causing many patients to delay care. To achieve the WHO goal, still many patients need to be screened and linked to care. Gilead has been running Local Elimination Programs Leading to Global Action in HCV (LEGA-C) to support implementation science projects toward HCV elimination. Here, we explore the outcomes of LEGA-C programs for patients with HCV especially in Asia. Method(s): The outcomes and impact were measured through the number of studies and patients to be reached;steps in the care cascade as well as efficacy of each model were assessed along with the presentations and publications from each study. Result(s): In total,[120 studies were supported. Of these, 18 have completed or are ongoing in Asia. Through July 2022, 175,192 persons were screened, 6,287 were HCV + and enrolled in a study, and 3,768 received treatment. A simplified screening and linkage to care/ minimal monitoring model was investigated in 8 studies and demonstrated that linkage to care with minimal monitoring could achieve antiviral response comparable to standard practice.[i] Four test-and-treat studies showed that aggressive screening and on-site treatment promotes HCV microelimination.[ii] Three outreach-andcallback studies showed demonstrated the feasibility of recruiting persons to HCV screening programs in community settings.[iii] Seven studies focused on special populations, and 4 of them described the characteristics of special populations with higher rates of HCV infection. Publications from these studies in Asia include 14 full articles, and these papers were cited a total of 56 times. Conclusion(s): The ongoing LEGA-C initiative is demonstrably contributing to the understanding, treatment, and ultimate elimination of HCV. Innovative ideas, active promotion of HCV testing, disease education, patient navigation, and care coordination in these programs led to increased screening and rates of linkage to care. Adopting and adapting effective strategies from these programs may be a feasible way to increase treatment numbers and improve patient outcomes, thus contributing to meeting the WHO goal of HCV elimination in Asia.

Newly Characterized Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus GII Subtype Strain

Diarrhea outbreaks in piglets on pig farms are commonly attributed to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection. This research analyzed the S gene prevalence variation and recombination patterns in PEDV GII strains. Throughout the previous two years, 172 clinical samples of piglet diarrhea have been collected, from which 24 PEDV isolates have been isolated. Analysis of the evolutionary relationships among all 24 S genes revealed that 21 were most closely related to strains within the GII-a subgroup. The 2 isolates grouped into one clade with the GII-b subgroup. According to the mutation analysis of the amino acids (aa) that encode the S protein, 43 of the common aa in strains of the GII subtype were found to have undergone a change in polarity or charge, and 36 of these aa had a mutation frequency of more than 90%. Three different aa mutation sites were identified as exclusive to GII-a subtype strains. The genomes of three PEDV isolates were sequenced, and the resulting range in genome length was 28,035−28,041 nt. The results of recombination analysis showed that the SD1 isolate is a novel strain recombinant from the foreign S-INDEL strain and a domestic GII subtype strain. Based on the findings, the PEDV GII-a strain has been the most circulating strain in several parts of China during the previous two years. Our study reveals for the first time the unique change of aa mutations in the S protein of the GII-a subtype strain and the new characteristics of the recombination of foreign strains and domestic GII subtype strains, indicating that it is crucial to monitor the epidemic dynamics of PEDV promptly to prevent and control the occurrence of PED effectively.

A Case Study on Student Experiences of Social VR in a Remote STEM Classroom

Extended reality (XR) technologies continue gaining traction in multiple higher education contexts. As XR becomes more commercially accessible to students and universities, its convenience for educational purposes presents a renewed potential for exploration. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there is also a growing interest in cross-platform, socially orientated software for remote educational practices. However, the precise role of XR technologies and how they contribute to student experiences of remote learning, particularly the unique affordances of social virtual reality (VR) for evoking an embodied sense of presence, is relatively unknown. Based on real-world experiences, we present a case study on a social VR intervention in a remote higher education classroom to inspire Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers to investigate further the issues that arise from our practice-based research. Our motivations were to report, analyze, and summarize everyday virtual learning environment (VLE) challenges, identify design considerations for VLE technologies, and comment on social VR's utility in delivering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in a remote setting. We apply a practical approach to investigate and identify potential HCI problems, capture the unique experiences of STEM students during the lockdown, and explore the effects of tutorial activities that give students agency in constructing VLEs. The findings of this student-focused case study draw attention to the design of social VR activities that support conventional, web browser-based VLEs. © 2023 Owner/Author.